sunday baking

i think a yummy tradition is in the making...sunday baking. we (all of us helped here and there) made SIX loaves of bread yesterday! two white and four wheat.

of course some tasting was in order as soon as they came out of the oven. i only wish photos could capture smells too. our house smelled divine last night! and yes, they taste as good as they look. hours of hard work and waiting paid off deliciously.

passion for scouting

a few months ago i was called (in our church you get callings, or "jobs") to be the cub scout wolf den leader. for those of you who don't know, the wolves are the 8 year old boys. two out of three of my boys are in the scouting program, so i believe that me receiving this calling was definitely the Lords will. at first i felt a bit lost because there is so much to know! but on saturday i went to the new leader training. ....
i am officially on FIRE!! totally in love with this great program called boy/cub scouts! i want to be the best den leader i can possibly be. i want to motivate my own boys to get their eagle (the highest honor a boy can earn in the scouting program). i feel thus far that i have let them down a little bit. i haven't been the most supportive scouting parent. they have missed many meetings. so much so that kyle did not earn his own wolf badge. (he has since gone on to earn his bear, and is working on his webelos badge)
ben is in boy scouts now and has earned his tenderfoot. he is close to getting his second class, and with a little nudging from me he will have that soon! i believe as a scout, both of them need to be self-motivated to obtain their ranks. however, they are 10 and 12, and therefore easily distracted by other boy things. it will probably be even harder once they fully embark into their teenage years. BUT - i will keep them on track!! i just believe it is that important!! a life-changing program, for sure.

i feel so blessed that Heavenly Father has put me in this calling. i know it is inspired. i know i was meant to serve in this great organization, and i hope to stay in it for a long time. i not only want to inspire and uplift my own boys, but the boys in my den as well. i feel i have been given a certain stewardship over these guys, and i want to rise to that awesome station. i know, without a doubt, that the scouting program is what this world needs to produce young men that are able to lift us up where we should be. it instills important and vital values, seemingly lost to our society.
for those of you that have boys, look forward to this awesome program!!!
okay, now is the time i step off my soap box. thank you for your attention. ;)

"In all of this, it is spirit that matters. Our scout law & promise, when we really put them into practice, take away all occasion for wars & strife among nations."
~Sir Robert Baden-Powell (founder of Boy Scouts, 1857-1941)

hooked. just a little bit.

first off, i want to thank y'all! you are so kind and wonderful and your sweet comments have put the biggest smile on my face! you rock!! i really do have the best friends - evah!


okay. so...i find myself eating my subconscious words. about digital scrapbooking. you know, being, well, not for me. i am still faithful to my first love, 'tangible scrapbooking'. but i will cheat on this love from time to time with digi scrapping. it's just this new, fun, unexplored world! far too tempting to be ignored. so, here you have the fruits of my first day of discovery:

oh, and stacey...thank you! you have officially rocked my world with your digi-tips!

fall is in the air...

yes it's true...fall is, by far,my favorite season! the colder weather is exhilarating (to me, anyway) as is the changing of the leaves, the smell of the air, pie, pumpkin (everything), halloween. i could seriously go on and on. so, in the spirit of this lovely season, i thought i would whip up an apple pie! actually it was a joint effort between myself and hubbie. he made the filling and i made the crust. it was delicious, but would have met perfection with vanilla ice cream. oh well. next time, i guess.


i made the pie for this guy:

he has been begging me for quite some time for an apple pie. tonight, he got his yummy wish fulfilled!



one another note, i have been away from the blog for a little over a week. i haven't been any busier than usual, i guess i've just been trying to sort some things out. things like what the heck i am supposed to do with myself - creatively speaking. i did not make the scrap 'n art design team. that was a harder blow than i thought it would be. i wanted it. but more than that, i wanted a direction. i feel like so many things that i have put my energy into have not panned out, or have flat out failed. in my heart (and believe me i've searched it a lot lately) i feel my passion lies mainly in photography. i am passionate about everything i make and do, but when it comes to taking pictures, especially of people, i light up. i love - no - i need to be behind the camera. i find myself wanting it with me always. to be able to capture any spontaneous moment. and so, i think photography is where i will put all my energy. really give it a go, as i've never done before. professionally.

dipping my feet in the digital scrapbooking waters...

i have always been in resistance to the digital movement. i am a "gotta feel and touch it" kind of gal. i need the tangible. i would not call this a scrapbook page, per se, but i did play with some digital elements with this collage. it was frustrating. it made me grumpy. i snapped at my family as i was deep in concentration making it. some of the elements i wanted to add are not on here. i couldn't figure out that dumb move tool. sigh. argh. hmph. a bit defeated, but i guess it's something, and it's a start. i need someone to show me. plain and simple. i can't read adobe help. it only adds to my frustration. i am a immediate, instant-gratification type. hence, needing a warm body to be here showing me, helping me. so HELP!! i know there are a few of you out there that are digi-masters. i want to step inside your elite circle. i'm not promising to join your team permanently, but i will dabble. any willing, brave souls???? i promise to play nice, and not be grumpy or snappish! :)

out on a limb...

well, once again i've put myself out on a limb. creatively, anyway. i have tried out for scrap 'n art's design team. i won't lie and say that i'm not on pins and needles waiting to hear back. (though the design team call is through 9/15, so i have some time still) i have never been very confident in any of my creative endeavors. reference: my etsy shop!
my scrapbooking is no exception. nevertheless, here i am, out there, trying out, and nervous as can be.

here are the layouts i submitted.......





this final layout is incredibly personal. but, i believe that those feelings need to be chronicled as well as the good feelings. it is about ryan. it has become one of my favorite layouts.

wish me luck! :)

one more jane eyre post....

for those of you not interested in jane eyre (but i cannot imagine this) be forewarned that this is a full-blown jane eyre
post. HOWEVER, if you enjoy beauty, at all, keep reading- or at least browse these pictures. there are some very beautiful people in this post!
last night i had the pleasure (thank you natalie!!) of seeing the 2006 bbc version of jane eyre. i WILL own a copy of this dvd!!! it was intense and beautiful and....oh....sigh....the sexual tension was palpable. it really stayed true to the book in every way. in fact, there were whole passages that seemed to be quoted directly from the book. it put you in england. you could feel the damp, cold, draftiness of thornfield hall. the waist-sinching, bust-heaving bodices make you unconsciously sit upright in your seat. and the emotions. ah, the emotions leave you thristy for more longing looks and passionate kisses dripping with romance! the main characters, jane eyre and mr. edward rochester are supposed to be plain, even a bit ugly. in this adaptation i did not find this to be the case. in fact, the opposite was true. these two actors are gorgeous and captivating!


i mean, seriously, just look at ruth wilson....she is stunning!



this photo is not from jane eyre. it is from one of her other projects. this look is very UN-jane. but it shows ruth in a very different way. with or without make-up, she is gorgeous. no?


and then we come to dear, tortured mr. rochester. played by toby stephens. of course i had to google him and see what other projects he has done. he is obsession-worthy, for sure!


do you see what i mean????
i really could go on and on about the book, the movie, the actors....all of it. if you haven't read the book, do! read the book first, then see THIS version. you won't be sorry. but be warned...it may get under your skin and turn into a mild, or not so mild, obsession! happy reading!

Its goin down tonight

These pictures are of me and they were used without my permission but that is okay because i would totally rock the suit if they made me one....I can not be held responsible for what might happen tonight!

walking/laughing down memory lane

saturday i spent a good part of the day at my in-laws going through old family photos. i scanned quite a few, and couldn't pass up these jems of my dear hubby. classic stephan.




it's quite obvious where noah gets his personality from...at least a good part of it!



i love the exact placement of the hands, even the fingers. can't you just see how this photo shoot went down at an "olan mills" type studio??


and, seriously, the hand on the hip....the look he's giving the camera....the side-swept bangs...i'm lovin' every minute of it!!!


then we progress to the teenage years. he tells me that wearing your p.e. shorts outside of p.e. class was in vogue. hmm....i don't recall that trend. maybe pennsylvania and california were on different trend cycles? oh, he also tells me that he got lots of girls wearing outfits such as these. okay. sure. if you say so.

I am in secret

I am back and she doesnt even know it! Exciting isnt it? Not much to say but Kim seriously read that book in like four days or something..She thinks I know I how to read but really I just play one on TV. So in my real life as many of you know I am a Chef and am currently the General Manager of one of the units our company runs. It is the World Headquarters for Western Union. Kind of an odd place to have your "WORLD" headquarters but none the less it pays our bills most of the time. I have taken a second part time gig at the new Dicks Sporting Goods that is set to open Sept. 5th. I was hired on as a bike tech. Since I started working I have a new respect for my wife and all those who work or have worked in retail, especially those that have opened new stores. It is a ton of work. Well, I just thought it would be fun to write something without Kims permission. HEY BABE? Am I fired?

Later ya'll.....

a story for the ages...

jane eyre. i think i mentioned that jane eyre was the next book on my reading list. i finished it last night. it was, if i may use the word to describe a book, delicious! everything i look for in a good story. somehow in my 35 years i had never read or even knew this story. of course i had heard of it as a classic novel...but never read it. i am only sad that i waited so long to do so! now i am on the hunt for vintage copies. good copies. rare copies. like this one: i found this on ebay. the opening bid is a mere $103.17. but it is a sixth edition copy. published in 1857. the first edition was published in 1848. sigh. if only...but who has over a hundred bucks to spend on a book?? certainly not me. at least, not now. *hint, hint...if anyone wants to just up and buy me a delightful gift....just a thought!!*



so this is what my copy looks like:
a $4.50 paperback that i bought at barnes & noble. honestly i didn't even think i would like it enough to finish it, so a minimal investment was all i put forth.


ah, jane....with your knowing eyes and tiny features that captivate the brooding mr. rochester so!


on to my next endeavor....to watch (what i've been told is the best version) the bbc version of jane eyre. i cannot WAIT!! oh, and since i'm sure to love this as well, here is another random gift idea. just in case you were racking your brain trying to come up with a 'no-occasion-whatsoever' kind of gift for yours truly!! :)

somehow he managed to do it...

i am not an easy person to surprise for my birthday. i am way too nosey, bossy, and generally concerned about how my day is going to go. i dare say i need to have a day filled with grandeur. i just believe birthdays are the one day during the year when you can want all that. so, that said, stephan had a big challenge before him. but he rose to the challenge and pulled off one heck of a surprise party. i had thrown some wrenches in his plans but he dodged those and managed to surprise me in a big way.



and since my mom and sister couldn't be with me in person, they sent these lovely flowers as stand-in's...
nicholes bouquet:


and my moms gorgeous little flower cake:


thank you to friends and family. especially my thoughtful husband who knew just how to lie to me to surprise me (is that a good thing??)

SO HERE I AM

So for ever now my wife has been buggin me to be a "guest blogger", I'm like no flippin way. Blogging sucks its for girls and if your a guy and blogging well....
Anyhoooo, I am sittin here doing my thing and she says "you could always be a guest blogger". Fine, How do I do it? Its easy log in to my blog and well I figured it out and So HERE I AM!
I do love reading her blog. I call her in the mornings and if it is around 830 900 she is always on the net reading her other bloggers blogs...is she a blog stalker? HMMM if she is I wouldn't mind being stalked by her cause, SHE IS HOT! Oh sorry off course here, is that allowed in blogging world? It is now. I love how creative she is, in words, on paper, in art and in life. Some are better than others and some mean more than others. But it always fun to read, sometimes if I have time I will look at her blog from my Blackberry at work and I have a pretty good idea what I am coming home to. Well maybe those instances are more like I know that I really dont know.
My girl is turning 35 tomorrow and she looks as good as she did when I first saw her. She is an amazing woman, if you know her, if you have even been around her for a minute you get her awesomeness. You get her strength and caringness for those around her. She is the epitome of love and life. Yeah sure I irritate her but she forgives me and always tells me she loves me before she goes to sleep(at least I hope she does, I am usually asleep before her) and allows me to be me.
Kim, I love you and I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to have such a strong centered woman who keeps me on my toes and keeps me centered in my family.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Love,
Stephan
Does this mean I lost my mancard?

1973

tomorrow, august 15th, i turn 35. i have never been one to shy away from sharing my age. i just don't see the point. i am what i am. i (thus far) have had no problem with getting older. it's something i embrace (again, i say right now. this may change someday!)
so i thought it would be fun to research what life was like during the summer of 1973.

if you were a teenager, you probably wore things like this:

and read magazines like this....... (drooling over these dreamy boys):

if you were a mom-type you most likely wore these styles:

if you were a little girl, your ken doll dressed in these fabulous duds:


popular hairstyles:


steven spielberg, the creator of indiana jones, jaws, e.t., and many other blockbusters looked like this:

what was happening:
* the US bombing of cambodia ends. US troops withdraw from the war in vietnam.
* the watergate hearings begin.
* the world trade center becomes the tallest building in the world.
* the average income was $12,900.00 per year.
* the average price of a new house was $32,500.00.
* a gallon of gas was $0.40 per gallon.
* the sting won best picture at the academy awards.
* jack lemmon won best actor (for his role in save the tiger) at the academy awards.

you were watching shows like:
* MASH
* the partridge family
* sandford & sons
* the odd couple

you were listening to:
* jethro tull
* chicago
* cat stevens
* pink floyd

life was simple, rockin', and groovy. all hail 1973!

inspired to create! a lot!

i'm not really sure what it is, but lately i can't stop doing projects. tons of them, in every form. it's good, it is. but it's not so good if you are a friend or family member of mine and want to talk to me. i have been in full-blown project mode....
on friday i made this skirt. it is, or was a vintage tablecloth that i got at a favorite thrift shop. sitting in one of my fabric baskets, waiting to be reincarnated as something fun. i will be making many more skirts due to this book...


i am in love with this book. truly. there are some dreamy projects in here, and the best part is no pesky patterns. i detest patterns. i am more of a sew-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal. you just have to figure out your measurements (trickier than it sounds) and you're good to go.


i have lots of shells, beach rocks, and sand that i have brought back from various trips to beaches. i saw this idea in real simple magazine some time ago (sorry i don't know when exactly) and put it to use. my treasure are now living in pretty little jars on a shelf in my bedroom! lovely!


my friend kim gave me some vintage paris postcards (swoon!!) among other things. they were in frame, and looked great in the frame,but i wanted to break them up and spread the paris love around my home a bit. so i went out to the scrap-wood pile in our backyard, found me a little plank, and painted, glued, and drilled until this was born:

and finally, another plank from that same pile also found new life as a cute little sign, now hanging above our bed. it say always kiss me goodnight (in french). i got the idea of printing on patterned paper and putting it on wood from kim's sister jana. not directly, actually kim has some of her things in her own home. so darling and super easy!

posing animals

back in april we bought a family pass to the zoo. saturday we FINALLY used it! i was quite amazed that almost every animal we saw (my favorite ones, anyway) we cooperating quite nicely with this photographer.


this one is now in my top 5 favorite photos. a majestic animal pondering...what...i wish i knew.


this black bear was seriously slumbering in the (fake) tree! how that could possibly be comfortable, even with all that extra fat, i don't know.


and finally we come to these domesticated animals.....MY animals!

it was hot, the day a bit too long, and much walking for this little guy. he sat every chance he got...pouting as 'loud' as he could to make sure we knew his discomfort.